Nazrul Islam, also known as the Rebel Poet, was born in a mosque as a child, and I'm sure not many people know that as a child, he used to give azaan in a mosque. I think hardly anyone would have thought that one day he would become the national poet of Bangladesh!
Nazrul Islam was born, or as they call it, his Yom-e-Viladat, was on May 28, 1899. Would you believe it that Nazrul, who once fought on behalf of the British Army in the First World War, would never have even thought that he would become a stern critic of the British Empire one day?
It’s a strange incident that a soldier who fought in a British uniform will at one time write poetry against the same British empire! And as a result of his poetry, he landed in jail.
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Nazrul Islam not only wrote poetry, but through his articles, short stories, novels, and essays, he fought against all evils by attacking fascism, caste, and discrimination between males and females. Nazrul Islam was the first poet to write a ghazal in the Bangla language.
Nazrul Islam used Arabian, Urdu, and Persian words very well in his poetry. While the poetry of Nazrul Islam filled the hearts of the people against the British government, Nazrul’s poetry also played a role in creating Bangladesh.
Nazrul also worked in the film world and made a film on the biography of Nawab Siraj Uddaula. Nazrul Islam married Pramila Devi, a member of the Brahma Samaj, which drew harsh criticism from society. Nazrul wrote over four thousand songs, which are stored in a book called Nazrul Geet.
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Soon after the death of Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul wrote a poem on separation, and soon he was in such a condition that he had to spend the rest of his life suffering. His illness took away his ability to speak! Nazrul’s illness also affected his financial condition. After that, Nazrul’s family moved to Ranchi.
Nazrul did not recover. Doctors from several fields, including homeopathy and Ayurveda, tried their best, but Nazrul did not. Later, he was also sent to London for treatment, but without any success. Nazrul came back to Calcutta, where his wife Pramila died in 1962, as Nazrul continued to fight his disease.
When Bangladesh came into existence in 1971, the government of Bangladesh urged the government of India to shift Nazrul to Bangladesh. Nazrul went to Bangladesh after the agreement between both countries. Nazrul lost his son in 1974 and finally, one day after fighting tirelessly with his illness for more than thirty years, Nazrul also said goodbye to this world on August 29, 1976.
Nazrul was ill for thirty years, but every poem and every song he wrote resonated in his voice. On the death of Nazrul, two days of national mourning were observed in Bangladesh, while a minute’s silence was also observed in the Indian Parliament.
I am not sure if there are many people in the world who received equal love and respect from two countries. Nazrul Islam has the honor of being one such person who is equally loved and respected in Bangladesh and India.